A coepobation of



J. W. ME NHALL AND C. G. CLEMENT.

VEHICL'E COUPLING. I APPLICATIONVFILED JUNE 3. 1918.

Patented May 27, 1919.

useful Improvements 1 of which the following is, a specification, refruary self-supporting member extending from UNITED STATES PATENT orrroa.

JAMES w. MENHALL AND CHARLES e. CLEMENT, or EDGERTON, wIscONs N, AssIeNORs '10 HIGHWAY rRAILnR COMPANY, or EneERro WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

VEHICLE-COUPLING.

Patented May 2*7, 1919.

Original application filed February 11,1918, Serial No. 216,655. Divided and this application filed June 3, 1918. Serial No. 237,950. i

.To all whom it may concern of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and Vehicle-Couplings,

erence being hadto the accompanying drawings,'forming a part thereof.

This application is a division of our pending application Serial No. 216,655, filed Feb- 11, 1918, and relates to coupling connections for a trailer vehicle. It may be understood that the vehicle for which these coupling devices are designed is acomplete vehicle as of the; fourwheeled type, certain wheels being mounted for steering anda draw-bar being provided with steering connections to such wheels so that by suitably rigid connection of the draw-bar to adraft pole orother tractive a tractor vehicle, the trailer will not only be drawn by the other features of the shown in the drawings, being more particu larly I indicated by theclaims;

In the drawingsz' Figure 1 is a side elevation of a trailer coupler and a draft pole wlth coupling connections arranged in the initial' position ready for couplmg engagement.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the parts shown in Fig. 1, but showing said partsin fully coupled relation.

Fig. 3 1s a side elevation on a reduced scale, showlng a draft pole and coupler connected by auxiliary coupling devices thereon. .Fig. 4 is'a fragmentary plan view of the end portion of a trailer vehicle frame illustrating the connection of a draft pole thereto by means of auxiliary coupling connec tions.

- In Fig.4 of the drawings there is shown a portion of the frame, 1, of the trailer vehi-. cle provided with a draw-bar, 2, which is;

embodying this 1nfitted with a coupler, 3, vention. The coupler, 3, is formed with two parallel walls or checks, 4, horizontally spaced apart and connected by a cross-bolt, 5, near their forward ends for engagement with a coupling device On the draft pole of the tractor vehicle. Said side walls are also 8, secured to the rear portlon,

.member, 14, and a fixed cross bolt, 5, between 4', of the trailer. coupler.

up on the cross bolt,

. later explained.

' The draft pole, 7, isshown ach'annel member opening downwardly, and provided at. its forward end witlrmeansfor engaging a spherically formed coupling hook member,

' 9, of the hauling vehicle, as more particularly described in 1 7 our pending application, SerialNo. 190,479. A short distanceback from the rear'end-of the draft pole, 7, there is secured, as shown in. Fig.2,a fitting, 10, formed with oppositely facinghook-shaped portions, 11 and 12, which combine to form a slot, 18, whose width in vertical direction is substantially equal to the diameter'of the cross bolt, 5, and .whose length .siderably greater than that diameter, while the opening between in horizontal direction is conthe terminals of hooks, 11 and 12, at the lower side of the slot, 18, is

'just enough greater than the diameter-of said-bolt, 5, to permlteasy entrance'of the v This opening is con-' trolled by a slidable latch member, 14, ,for movement upon a cross pin, 15, and be- ,tween the lateral flanges of thehookedporlatter into the slot.

guided tion, 12, which flangessaid cross pin, 15, conmeets, and further gu ded by sli'dable engage:

'mentwith a guide rod, 16, which carries a I coiled spring, 17, reacting between said latch bracket, 18, which is an integral part of the fitting, 10.

. To operate the coupler the draw bar,2, 0n the trailer vehicle, the hauling vehicle are arranged substantially in alinement with the extreme end portions, 19, of said draft pole, resting upon the the cheeks or flanges,

The hauling vehicle is then backed toward the trailer vehicle, whereupon the end, 19, of the draft' pole, 7,

is further entered between said cheeks, 4,

tion of the depending 11p, 21, of latch, 14, to

I strike 'said bolt, 38. By further backing movement, said latchnrember, 14, is forced back against the spring, 17, out of its position guarding the entrance 5. The pressure of spring 1 and the draft pole, 7, of A then snaps thev the inclined back,2 0, of'the hook, 11, riding 5, causing the end por-' to slot, 13, and I V by gravity, the draft pole, 7, drops into posilatch, 14, back to its position for substantially closing the lower side of slot, 13, thus preventing accidental disengagement of the parts and adapting the draft pole, 7, to transmit either a thrust through the hook portion, 12, or a pull through the hook portion, 11, to the cross bolt, 5, and thus to the trailer vehicle. It may be understood that the distance between thechecks or flanges,

very simply effected by inserting one or two fingers in the ring or handle, tracting the latch member, 14, to permit lifting the draft pole out of its position between the flanges, 4, of the coupler.

In shunting'a trailer vehicle about in relatively close quarters, it is sometimes undesirableor impossiblefor themotor truck to assume such a position that the regular coupler may be employed. Under such condi- 22, for retions it is often convenient to be able'to attach the motor truck to a corner of the trailer vehicle frame, and for this purpose v each corner of said frame is fitted with an provided with eye, 28, andthe top-side of the draft pole near its terminal portion, 19, is provided with a hook, 24, adaptedto engage such eye, 23,,as a temporary connection in a special situation. The coupler flanges, 4, are also the eye, 6, which may be similarly engaged by the hook, 24, of the draft pole, 7, especially in situations where it is preferred not to have the draft pole and the draw bar in alinement, as for eX- ample, where the motor truck would run for a short distance in the direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the trailer in the latters initial position, but for the purpose of effecting a short turn or otherwise altering the position of the trailer vehicle. Fig. 3 illustrates this latter use of the draft pole, while its connection to one of the corner rings, 23, is shown in Fig. 4.

We claim 1. In a trailer vehicle provided with a draw bar, a couplerthereon having laterally spaced vertical walls and a transverse pler.

'abutments being nector between i member is thereafter yieldingly returned to element connecting said walls, together with a draft pole dimensioned to lie between said walls upon said connecting element and provided with depending abutments before and behind said connector, together with a latch member movable past one abutment toward the other under said connector to retain the draft pole in such engagement.

2. In the combination recited by claim 1 foregoing, means for manually withdrawing said latch disposed at a part of the draft pole outside saidwalls of the draw bar cou- 3. In combination with a coupler comprising transversely spaced vertical walls and a connector extending between them, a draft pole dimensioned. to liebetween said walls upon said connector and having depending abutments longitudinally spaced'to admit the said connector-between them, said the draft pole to permit lodgment of the terminal portion thereof upon the connector preparatory to engaging the latter between said abutments.

4. In the combination set forth in claim 3,

a guide lip depending from the forward abutment adjusted to collide with the connector when the pole :is' backed into the coupler for leading said-connector into place between the two abutments."

5.. In the combination recited by clalm 4' foregoing, means adapted. for yieldlngly set back from the end of retaining said latch-member in position to substantially block the exit of the coupler connector from its-position between the two abutments of the draft pole,

6. In the construction defined in claim 3 foregoing, a latch member and means for holding it yieldingly in position to blockthe eXitof the coupler connector from between the abutments, the guide lip being depending from said latch member whereby the encounter of said lip by the coupler connector forces, back the yieldingly-held latch member to permit theentrance of the conthe abutments, and thelatch locking position.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto JAMES w. MENHALL. CHARLES e- CLEMENT;

Copies of this patentniay be obtainedior five cents each,.by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

